How did the wedding of Katie and Andrew pleasantly surprise you in the final moments before the guest arrival?

Acting as planner and designer for a couple I was so close to wasn’t as stressful as I thought it would be because I knew there was a great team in place, with Berkeley, my assistant coordinating for the day, and the team of vendors we had put together. It meant that I could be supportive in my role in the wedding party, and celebrate along with Katie and Andrew.

You tell a really cute story about Andrew getting help tying his bow tie before the ceremony. How does having a wedding planner help couples feel at ease on their big day?

Having a wedding planner or coordinator there on your wedding day is essential. Someone is in your corner sweating the small stuff, and problem solving the inevitable little things that pop up. While your family and bridal party also want to help, they should get to enjoy the day as your guests, and support you as the couple, with out having to oversee everything.

Aside from help on wedding day, having a planner along the way is the best way to avoid most wedding stress. The help of a professional means you’re planning with solid guidance, to make decisions wisely, and spend your budget carefully and creatively, with the help and knowledge of someone who’s already been there and done that dozens of times. A planner knows how everything will flow, what’s worth investing in and what’s not.

What are some of the key things to consider when you are designing a tablescape?

It sounds simple, but start with the basics. Know how much room you actually have to work with. Couples – and even pros – make the mistake of over designing their tablescapes and their carefully made plans don’t actually fit on the table. Will your table fit charger plates comfortably along with the other items at a place-setting (like cutlery, glassware or day-of paper goods) if you’re seating it full of guests? Start by designing with everything that’s included, to make room in your budget for fabulous florals, and then upgrade details where you can.

In this case, we used the simple white linens, flat ware and glassware that was available through Berkeley Fieldhouse and upgraded the napkins. The finished look is polished and crisp. You can’t go wrong with simple classics. For a more colourful wedding design, I would have added special glassware or more colourful paper goods.

How do you feel the wedding photographer successfully captured the wedding day ?

Deanne was a champ. We were a big, fun bunch, and it was a brutally hot day. The couple portraits are beautiful and there are so many favourites. Not to mention, the special photos of family members, and candid moments captured.

The florals at Katie and Andrews wedding “brought the outdoors indoors” with the pretty free flowing design though out the venue without the use of vases. What was the inspiration behind the beautiful wedding style?

The outdoor space at Berkeley Fieldhouse reminded us of Collingwood, where Katie and Andrew spend a lot of time with family. It made it the perfect spot for a wedding in the city that still felt like them. What I love about florals with out vases or containers is that it looks so natural, almost like they’re growing out of the table. Like they’re plucked straight from the garden to the table. We were also sticking firmly to the wedding budget, so skipping containers helps divert more of the money to blooms rather than hard goods. In this case, we elevated the popular look of greens or garland down the length of the long tables by including flowers as well.

The container free look also repeated on the stairs inside. The florist, Forever Wildfield relocated the ceremony flowers from the arbor to the stairs along with some candles.

If you chose three words for the wedding style of Katie and Andrew what would they be ?

Sweet, simple, and classic. Katie and Andrew made it their own with pops of black and the modern typography on the paper goods, but it all came together in something that was casually elegant. The perfect blend of the two of them.

Weddings do tend to be more about the bride’s style than the grooms, but it’s important to me that the grooms still feel connected to the day.